We’ve heard the ukulele featured in a few noteworthy releases this year, but we haven’t heard it played quite like this. umin approaches the versatile instrument with a dissecting mind, exploring its possibilities through sequencing and stuttering, strumming and plucking. The presence of friends on mbira, bass, piano and drums leads to a full sonic experience that cannot easily be defined. antiv might never be performed live, but it’s a rich tapestry of infrequently united sounds, a rare collusion of colors that reflects the friendly ethos of the Abandon Building label.
Some of these tracks have been kicking around on Soundcloud for a while, while others are brand new. There’s no clear distinction between the old and the new, because there’s little like this on the market. The tempos are quick, the tones bright, the crannies filled, the mastering crisp. Whenever the timbre grows noticeably electronic, the album races like an organic alternative to a video game score. No one can pluck a ukulele as fast as this one occasionally sounds, but this is adornment: an extraction of notes made possible by computers. Such tonal manipulation makes one wonder if another artist might attempt to cover these songs, culling them down to their original essences. One suspects that such an attempt would operate as the opposite of a remix, shearing the loops and taping the slices: one might even call it a pre-mix.
The two vocal tracks are a bit jarring, especially as they battle in tone: the upbeat “porus” includes the repeated phrase “commit to Christ”, while the atonal “fziwthings” mentions sewing little dresses and sticking fingers into something to make jam. Better the eleven instrumentals, which provide a more relatable aura. The title track rests on a low hanging string sample, while the mbira lends “concentr” an African flavor. Snare and bass have their day on “tesil”, while “voulo” includes a sweet slowdown. Our old friends at Bad Panda Records have released a companion remix EP containing these tracks, which can be downloaded here. Kevin Poole has made many friends as umin, and we suspect that this release will earn him many new fans as well. (Richard Allen)
a closer listen 